The invention relates to in-line roller skates and more specifically to an improved brake usable with such skates. In-line roller skates utilize two or more wheels positioned to rotate within a common, vertical plane and while operating as roller skates have much of the feel and behavior associated with ice skates. Substantially the same bodily movements are required to operate both ice and in-line roller skates, and such roller skates have become increasingly popular with skaters as a desirable training tool for off-season and on-street use.
In recent years, in-line skates have been capturing an increasing share of the recreational skate market for skaters of all ages and in time may parallel jogging as a healthy and pleasurable sport. Until recently, the brakes used with in-line roller skates have been rubber, cone-like or cylindrical bodies extending axially from the rear of the skate and which rub against the road surface as the skater pivots his skate rearwardly about the rearmost wheel axle of the skate. Such a system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,523 issued Mar. 20, 1990 for "In-Line Roller Skate With Frame", the brake shown in such disclosure having been in public use for more than a year prior to the date of filing this application. While that brake has been one of the most effective on the market, it is desirable to improve the performance still further so as to make braking as effective and reliable as possible.
Improving the brake's performance can be accomplished by enlarging the braking face that engages the road surface on which the skater moves, but applicants have found that the configuration of the brake pad, particularly where it engages the road surface, is subject to severe limitations. These limitations include the need to keep the pad width equal to or less than the width of the rest of the skate's frame in order to avoid the brake snagging on obstacles that might be on the road and near the path of the skater. It is desirable that the skate be configured so that if the frame can pass along a given path, the brake will be able to safely follow. For example, if the skater is moving along a somewhat irregular road surface, the brake should not extend laterally or downwardly from the skate in such a manner that the brake will strike or drag on the road surfaces. These requirements severely limit the configuration possible for a brake pad.
It is important to position the brake pad in close proximity to the road surface, but still maintain sufficient spacing therefrom so that the brake does not engage the riding surface when the skater goes down an incline such as a driveway apron or goes over a road or sidewalk crack or irregularity. Should the brake engage when irregular surfaces are encountered, it can affect the balance of the rider, and is to be avoided.
Applicants have also found that when the brake pad is enlarged so as to obtain a larger contact area with the road surface, the forces applied to the brake pad during operation are substantially increased and that new structural configurations are needed to prevent disengagement of the pad from the brake housing and to assure long, reliable life of the brake. While meeting these requirements, the brake must be very strong, durable, compact, lightweight and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, while still effectively retaining the brake pad even under the most extreme braking condition. The present invention is directed toward a solution of these problems